This invention relates to a hitch and, more particularly, to a hitch of the type which is adapted to be mounted in the bed of a pickup truck and is adapted to interlock with the kingpin of a fifth wheel trailer in order to couple the trailer to the truck.
The assignee of the present invention has made and sold fifth wheel hitches for several years. A typical hitch includes a main support or crossbar adapted to be mounted in the bed of the truck and formed with a rearwardly opening throat for receiving the kingpin. A latch is pivotally supported on the crossbar and is adapted to turn between latched and unlatched positions. When the latch is in its latched position, it captivates the kingpin in the throat to couple the trailer to the truck. When pivoted to its unlatched position, the latch releases the kingpin and permits uncoupling of the trailer.
The hitch further includes a locking member in the form of an elongated bolt which is adapted to be reciprocated between locked and unlocked positions. When locked, the bolt engages the latch and prevents the latch from turning to its unlatched position. The locking bolt is adapted to be shifted manually to an unlocked position by an operating handle and, when so shifted, releases the latch and frees the latch to pivot to its unlatched position.
Spring means urge the latch toward its unlatched position and urge the locking bolt toward its locked position. In the assignee's prior hitches, it is necessary to place the operating handle in a detent position after the bolt has been unlocked so as to hold the bolt in the unlocked position against the urging of the spring means and thereby permit uncoupling and recoupling of the trailer. After the trailer has been re-coupled, the operating handle must be released manually from its detent position to enable the locking bolt to move to its locked position and secure the latch.
With such prior hitches, the operators have on occasion neglected to release the operating handle of the locking bolt from its detent position after the kingpin has been coupled to the hitch and the latch has pivoted to its latched position. Under such circumstances, the locking bolt remains in its unlocked position and the latch is left free to turn to its unlatched position. If the truck is pulled forwardly under such conditions, the latch automatically unlatches to leave the trailer behind and, in some cases, the kingpin hits and damages the tailgate of the truck.